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Making Sense of MoneyTue, 29 Aug 2017 00:18:58 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1Krantcentshttps://feedburner.google.comOffice Essentials That Can Improve Your Productivity and Incomehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/FYTyLpPDABA/
http://www.krantcents.com/office-essentials-that-can-improve-your-productivity-and-income/#respondTue, 29 Aug 2017 00:18:58 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11789Keep Reading]]>When you’re self employed, making the most of every working hour is an absolute must. With every minute that passes, you’re either doing something that will help you earn money, or you’re wasting your time.

While most self-employed workers have a full understanding of the digital resources that are available to help them get more out of the workday, far fewer realize that creating an ergonomic workstation is also essential to improving both productivity and income.

Seeking the help of a company that specializes in the manufacture and distribution of innovative ergonomic workstations and office productswill help you feel more comfortable. And this will have a direct impact on your ability to remain productive throughout the day. By creating an office environment that promotes good health, you’ll be able to perform better than ever, enabling you to increase your earnings and job satisfaction.

So which office products can have the biggest impact on your health and productivity? Here’s a closer look at some of the items that can result in some significant improvements for your workspace.

Ergonomic Seating

A comfortable, ergonomic chair is one of the most important office supplies you could possibly have, yet far too many people continue to subject themselves to unsuitable seating. A proper office chair should provide support to your pelvis and the lumbar regions to reduce back pains, headaches, and other common ailments related to poor posture.

While improving your spinal alignment might seem like a minor thing, this can make a significant difference for your work. Supportive seating helps improve posture and concentration, enabling you to stay focused on your work for hours at a time. By eliminating the need to take breaks due to headaches, back pains, and other ailments, you can remain productive throughout the day.

Electric Height Adjustable Tables

Height adjustable tables have become increasingly popular in offices across the country thanks to their ability to promote a healthier work environment. Electric height adjustable tables can move up or down with the push of a button, making it easy to switch between sitting and standing positions while at work.

Interestingly enough, this doesn’t just help improve posture. Research has found that remaining seated for extended periods of time can have a negative impact on your concentration and muscle systems. Switching into a standing position from time to time during the work day helps improve your breathing and circulation, relaxing your muscles so you can stay focused on the task at hand. This also improves your energy levels!

With improved energy and concentration, you’ll have the physical and mental stamina you need to increase your productivity.

Lighting

While every work environment is different, the importance of adequate lighting cannot be understated. It is essential that you adapt your office lighting to suit your workplace needs. For example, if you spend most of the day on a computer, minimal lighting is often sufficient. Tasks that don’t require the use of a computer typically require more intensive illumination.

Finding the right balance of task lighting, overhead lighting, and natural light may require a bit of trial and error, but the results are well worth it. Proper lighting will help you avoid unnecessary eye strain, which can lead to headaches and other discomfort that could interrupt your work and delay the completion of important projects. Interestingly enough, studies have also found that a properly lit work area can significantly improve your job satisfaction and productivity.

By using lighting to make it easier to focus on your work, your office will become more aesthetically appealing than ever, creating the ideal environment for getting things done.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/office-essentials-that-can-improve-your-productivity-and-income/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/office-essentials-that-can-improve-your-productivity-and-income/3 Crucial Tips for Managing Your Mortgagehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/LDptHzhWTQU/
http://www.krantcents.com/3-crucial-tips-for-managing-your-mortgage/#respondTue, 29 Aug 2017 00:17:18 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11787Keep Reading]]>Buying a house is an exciting life event, but it also entails a significant financial responsibility. If you’re not prepared to manage the ins and outs of mortgage payments, your home purchase could very well put yourself into a a serious financial predicament.

The good news is that appropriately planning for and managing a mortgage isn’t as impossible as you might be tempted to believe. By following a few key guidelines, you can manage your mortgage responsibly so that you can enjoy your new house without hurting your finances.

Minimize Other Debts

Because a mortgage is such a large financial responsibility, it is strongly recommended that you take steps to minimize other debts (especially credit card debt) before buying a home. In some cases, an excessive amount of debt could disqualify you from being able to take out a mortgage loan in the first place.

Paying off debts will help improve your credit score, allowing you to lock into a more favorable loan rate that could save you thousands of dollars over the lifespan of your loan. Even more importantly, this will make it easier to manage your monthly payments.

Conversely, adding mortgage debt on top of pre-existing credit card debt, auto loans, and other large financial obligations will only make it more difficult to manage your finances. A higher loan rate will make monthly and long-term payments more expensive. You might end up having to cut back significantly on other basic purchasing needs.

After purchasing a home, you should also be careful to avoid taking on any other major debts besides your mortgage. If you’re not careful, doing this might put you at risk of defaulting on some of your payments.

Mortgage Insurance

When you pay a smaller initial down payment on a home (typically less than 20% of the total price), the mortgage lender will most likely require you to take out a mortgage insurance policy. This protects the lender should you ever default on your loan, but it also enables you to purchase a larger and nicer house than you could otherwise afford.

However, this isn’t the only type of mortgage insurance available. Many homeowners gain peace of mind by taking out mortgage protection insurance. This policy allows you to protect your home with affordable mortgage insurance and complete coverage, protecting your interests if job loss or another life-altering event makes you temporarily unable to make mortgage payments.

While you want to free yourself from the bank’s private mortgage insurance to lower your monthly payments, mortgage protection insurance is worth keeping throughout the duration of your loan. Should the unexpected ever occur, you won’t be forced into foreclosure.

Plan For Other Expenses

With mortgage payments taking a big bite out of your monthly budget, it can be easy to overlook the other expenses that come with buying a new house. Like it or not, you’ll probably have much higher utility bills once you move into your new place — especially if you are moving from an apartment complex.

When planning your monthly budget, be sure to take these higher living expenses into account. In fact, it’s probably best that you obtain an average utility bill estimate before buying the home, just so you can be certain that you’ll be able to afford your new expenses.

While moving into a new home might require that you sacrifice your weekly restaurant trip so you can cover your higher utility bills, you must continue to add to your savings account. This way, you can be prepared when repairs are needed or when you need to buy a new appliance.

In addition, don’t give in to the temptation to try to fill your home with new furniture and decorations all at once. Stagger your purchases over time so that the expenses are more manageable and don’t drain away the savings you’ve worked so hard for.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/3-crucial-tips-for-managing-your-mortgage/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/3-crucial-tips-for-managing-your-mortgage/How to Keep Travel Delays, Cancellations & Other Changes From Hurting Your Budgethttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/doC_KclyF90/
http://www.krantcents.com/how-to-keep-travel-delays-cancellations-other-changes-from-hurting-your-budget/#respondTue, 29 Aug 2017 00:14:52 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11785Keep Reading]]>No matter what you do for work, pretty much everyone looks forward to going on vacation. In fact, there’s a good chance you put aside a bit of money from each paycheck just so you can afford that dream trip — because travel is anything but cheap.

With airline travel already being quite expensive, you don’t want any changes (planned or unplanned) to result in additional costs — especially if you’re traveling with your entire family. So what can you do to ensure that interruptions to your travel don’t cause you to lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars?

Here’s a closer look at some of the most common travel predicaments airline passengers face and what you can do to protect your finances in these situations.

Flight Cancellations and Delays

Whether the result of severe weather, mechanical problems or another unexpected incident, few things can throw off your travel plans like a flight cancellation or an extended delay. While many airlines make an effort to rebook you on a later flight or provide you with a travel voucher or some other form of compensation, this isn’t always the case.

For example, on some Canadian flights, there is actually no regulation that requires that the airline provides compensation other than a ticket refund. In other situations, an airline might provide a travel voucher that is worth far less than what you could have received. Because of this, it is essential that you learn about your compensation options if you experience a flight cancellation or delay.

Even though the airline is required to issue a refund for your ticket after a cancellation, many passengers don’t realize when they might also be eligible for additional compensation. While your destination and other factors may influence your eligibility, flight delays of over three hours and delays that cause you to miss a connection often qualify for compensation from the airline. If you were unable to fly because your flight was overbooked, your compensation could vastly exceed the price you paid for your ticket.

Enlisting the help of a claims professional can help you identify when you might be able to qualify for a travel voucher or additional monetary compensation, turning a travel nightmare into an opportunity for discounted trips in the future.

Changing Your Flight Plan

If changes to your own schedule require that you make alterations to your travel plan, cancelling or rebooking your flight can be complicated, to say the least. Policies vary from airline to airline, but most companies charge expensive fees (anywhere from $200 to $500) to discourage passengers from cancelling or changing their flights.

You do have some measure of protection, as most airlines allow you to cancel or change your flight within 24 hours after you initially purchase your tickets. This allows you to make any changes without worrying about fees.

Other airlines offer more consumer-friendly options. Southwest is one of the few airlines that doesn’t charge any fees for cancellations or changes. Other airlines allow you to purchase travel insurance when you buy your plane ticket, allowing you to cancel or change your flight plan for any reason without paying the airline fee. Some airlines also charge much smaller fees for same-day flight changes, though this option would probably add a lot of stress to your travel plans.

In addition, emergency situations (like a death in the family or a serious illness) may also help you qualify for a fee waiver. As long as you can provide proof of your emergency, most airlines will be willing to work with you to change or cancel your flight without invoking the typical fines.

Conclusion

By understanding your options and taking the appropriate steps to increase your compensation or reduce travel fees, unplanned changes to your travel itinerary won’t be nearly as disastrous as you might fear. When you understand your options and plan ahead, you’ll know how to respond so that you’ll still be financially okay.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/how-to-keep-travel-delays-cancellations-other-changes-from-hurting-your-budget/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/how-to-keep-travel-delays-cancellations-other-changes-from-hurting-your-budget/Ways to Save Money On Anti-Aging Treatmentshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/2AqDf8s3xKo/
http://www.krantcents.com/ways-to-save-money-on-anti-aging-treatments/#respondTue, 29 Aug 2017 00:09:25 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11783Keep Reading]]>These days, many people are worried about aging, and we’re so fortunate that we have such a large number of alternatives anti-aging prevention approaches, reversing and slowing the visible indications of aging. In any case, with this fixation with almost everybody comes lots of hype and deception.

It appears there’s always some products promising what they cannot offer, and some people fell victim of this fraud and burn through cash in their endeavors to beautify their skin. Due to this fraudulent act, many large skin care companies fined for exaggerating their products claims in their advertizement.

We all try to stay young and vibrant to completely enjoy every one of the ventures that life brings to the table. Although time is continually passing by, you can still have your face look youthful and energetic, but life may seem boring when considering the amount of money needed to access an advanced anti-aging procedure. There are few approaches to decrease aging signs without burning through cash. Below are some tips that will either treat wrinkles or keep them from showing up in any case:

Reduce Sun Exposure

Many dermatologists agree that number-one skin-ager is ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Sun do havoc to elastin and causes collagen loss, which brings about definition loss on the jaw line, roughens texture, wrinkles, dropping and adds discoloration. Ultraviolet radiation is the primary cause of skin malignancies.

Skin care shouldn’t be complicated; however, it requires the appropriate basics. And this implies using Ultraviolet radiation protection during the day. However, night care is also vital. Our skin is performing greatly though it’s exposed to so much throughout the day and still recover. But as we are growing older we have to help it look youthful and dynamic.

Limit Sagging Skin

To remove sagging skin, many people consider facelifts the best option for them. And keeping in mind that it is absolutely the best among the most precise and reliable option, but if the laxity of your skin is still in the early stages, you may have to postpone the surgery and start with non-surgical one. There are the most innovative anti-aging aesthetic treatments available today which are non-surgical and also non-invasive, which means it doesn’t break the skin. Rather, they enable your body to form collagen, a protein your skin needs to look energetic and more youthful.

Avoid “GBGH” Philosophy

Keeping facial rejuvenation fills various needs. In the first place, it prevents you from using the extravagant procedure; it keeps your face looking natural, instead of resembling a stereotyped patient who always looks “surprised” because the facelift was too aggressive. What’s more, and, it keeps you from spending more cash than you have to on a more advanced procedure. There are many non-costly procedures which can be done just anywhere using gentle numbing as opposed to using anesthesia, resulting to natural looking face.

Tackle Aging Signs

It is so unfortunate that aging causes many aesthetic problems on the double, for example, volume loss, sagging skin, expression lines, and wrinkles. Fortunately, you might have the capacity to handle a few of these with just a simple traditional procedure. And this implies you get an all-over natural rejuvenating effect which gets rid of skin laxity, age spots, wrinkles, and fine lines – all with little recuperation time compared to other costly procedures.

Certainly, advanced anti-aging treatment is out of many people price range. However, the truth of the matter is that with the extensive variety of options accessible today, almost everybody can find something within their financial plan – particularly considering that the tips listed above are not difficult to follow. Using these approaches save you a lot of money and enable you to put your money into other use.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/ways-to-save-money-on-anti-aging-treatments/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/ways-to-save-money-on-anti-aging-treatments/How to Take Control of Monthly Financeshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/tOXXyt-x3mY/
http://www.krantcents.com/how-to-take-control-of-monthly-finances/#respondSun, 27 Aug 2017 21:52:23 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11778Keep Reading]]>It can be quite overwhelming to handle your own finances, let alone for an entire household, so it’s good if you can take control and get into a rhythm going forward so that you are on a consistent pattern every month. Between due dates, balances, as well as making sure you are in good shape for saving for the future, there is a lot to be responsible for. By making sure you following a few behaviors on a regular basis, you can make sure you are in control for you and for family’s finances.

Change Due Dates

With all of the monthly payments that are due every month, between the mortgage, utilities, car payment, credit card, insurance, not to mention any student/personal loan payments, you could have payments coming out at any point of the month. By changing due dates to either be around the same time, or better yet, split between the beginning and end of the month, you can plan out having the available funds by spreading out the monthly expenses over the course of the month. Keep in mind that with a mortgage typically having a grace period of 15 days, it does not have to come out on the 1st every month, just as long as it’s not paid on the 16th when late fees will be added.

Even Out Available Cash

By spreading out the monthly expense due dates, you can spread out the monthly payments and have a consistent amount of available cash after all of the bills are paid. If you didn’t stagger the payment dates, you could run the risk of having little or no money left after payments for spending money, while having a large amount available the next paycheck.

Never Worry about Missing Payments

When you are on top of your finances, you never run the risk of missing payments and therefore ruining your credit score, jeopardizing future monthly payments increasing, on top of already paying late fees. Keeping a spreadsheet of when everything is due is a good idea, as well as when payments are made and pending so that you know where you stand every month. Auto-pay is huge, not only being able to take out on the due date every month for some, but for others, scheduling when to have them withdrawn every month, typically on Friday paydays as much as I can make it.

Avoid Wracking Up Credit Card Debt

It can be easy to spend money on whatever you want, but when you are trying to stay in control of your finances, you don’t want to be not only trying to pay back what you have been charging up and not able to afford, but also paying interest until the balance is paid off. Being able to pay off, and stay out of debt, will take willpower and discipline, but is necessary when you look at the big picture, which is trying to continue to reduce expenses so that every dollar freed up can go towards saving for the future.

Moving can come with a sense of relief, dread, anticipation and several more emotions all bundled together. Just as there are a lot of emotions tied up with moving, there is a lot you can do to save money during your move, such as working with Phoenix insurance agents to see if you warrant a policy discount for the new area to which you’ll move. Learn other ways to keep from overspending while getting settled in your new digs.

Pack Your Own Belongings

If you have a lot of items to pack up from various rooms in your home or apartment, you might be tempted to leave the job to someone else. Do this, and you’ll also be leaving savings to someone else. In this case, you’ll want to get an early start on organizing and packing, doing one room at a time and packing up items you don’t use or need very often to make the process easier and much more efficient.

Know You Can Negotiate With Movers

When you have no choice but to hire movers, don’t be afraid to open up the doors of negotiation. Because every industry has seasons of ebb and flow, the least expensive time to move is usually during the fall and winter season when movers are usually during their slow period. You’ll also want to gather at least three different quotes from three different moving companies to see what you’re getting.

Get Free Boxes Where and When You Can

Start gathering boxes slowly but surely in the months leading up to your move. Ask friends and family if they have any lying around they won’t be using, and be sure to check Craig’s List as well. Additionally, you might have luck in university mailrooms, around the office, at liquor stores and at department and grocery stores. You’ll be surprised at how new used boxes can look and how much money you can save when you take the time to gather your own boxes.

Save Money Where and When You Can on Utilities

Know that there are utility companies that will charge you for days after you’ve moved out of your old place. For this reason, you should think about getting your cable and potentially your internet cut off early so you aren’t paying for services you didn’t use. Know that it’s best to leave your electricity for last, since you’ll need to be able to see what you’re packing up.

Leave the Packing Peanuts and Bubble Wrap on the Shelf

Rather than spend money on bubble wrap and packing peanuts, do yourself and your finances a favor and use magazines and newspaper instead. Paper is just as effective and much less expensive. Just make sure you don’t stain the items you’re wrapping with ink.

Donate Items

There are bound to be plenty of items you don’t want as you’re getting packed up and settled into your new place. Rather than throw them away, consider donating them instead. Not only is this less wasteful, you’ll also have a tax deduction. You also have the feeling that comes with knowing you’re helping out someone else who could use the items you donate.

Don’t Forget About Tax Deductions

Depending on the particulars of your move, there’s a chance you might qualify for a tax deduction. Be sure you keep close and careful track of all the money you spend during your move and sit down with your accountant after your move to go over everything to see if there’s anything you can write-off or deduct on your upcoming taxes.

While moving can cost a lot of time, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Use these tips, and create a plan to save as much as possible while completing a satisfactory move.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/solid-ways-to-save-money-on-your-upcoming-move/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/solid-ways-to-save-money-on-your-upcoming-move/Smart Everyday Purchases to Make Life Betterhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/RNEby8TXgbY/
http://www.krantcents.com/smart-everyday-purchases-to-make-life-better/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 01:41:27 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11771Keep Reading]]>We often are so worried about spending and saving money and how much we are going to have in our bank account that in actuality, it’s the life experiences that are important. Whether it is homebodies that don’t leave the four walls to experience life, or those that are even afraid to get out there, that by the time it’s all said and done, maybe it would have been worth shelling out a little money for quality items that will last a long time and actually reward you with a little bit of enjoyment in return.

Coffee Maker

For a good string of time I would stop every morning and get coffee and a bagel on my way to work. Not being a morning person, I found it easier to just stop then prepare my breakfast. Not only did I find myself with an inflated waistline from the unhealthy breakfast every day, but what you can save on coffee by purchasing a $25 coffee maker, my favorite brand of coffee in bulk, and set the timer to be finished brewing by the time I need to leave for work. I can pour into a travel cup and be on my way.

A Comfortable Mattress

Not only will your back thank you over the years by purchasing a comfortable mattress, but your entire body with a solid overnight sleep will reward you with looking well rested. Sure, mattresses are expensive, but by avoiding opting with a cheaper product simply because of the price, you can happily spend the extra months that will give you a better return and last for the next decade as long as you take care of it, flipping and rotating when needed. Your significant other will be happy when the snoring is reduced as well.

Quality Furniture

Sort of along the same lines as a comfortable mattress, having quality furniture when it comes to chairs and couches will also help in the long run. Like with most items, you get what you pay for, so maybe when you first moved out of your parents’ house you could get away with hand-me-downs and cheaper brands, but not that you are established, spend a little more on quality products that will last as long as you’re probably in the home. You probably see commercials all the time with furniture stores are trying to give items away, so wait for a good sale, finance with the 0% APR promo, and you are set!

Airline Tickets

Now when it really comes to living life and enjoying the experiences, traveling to get away from the daily grind really can improve the quality of life. I’m not suggesting blowing everything on trips, but as long as you can afford to take a vacation more often than not, you will be happy with your happier outlook on life and slowly start to see those bucket list items begin to get checked off the list, probably a lot faster than most who do not experience life as much as they should.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/smart-everyday-purchases-to-make-life-better/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/smart-everyday-purchases-to-make-life-better/Credit Behaviors to Give Your Score a Boosthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/SBvMfEiHutc/
http://www.krantcents.com/credit-behaviors-to-give-your-score-a-boost/#respondTue, 08 Aug 2017 19:51:44 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11764Keep Reading]]>You may not review your credit report and/or score that often, so who knows what is hidden in there. Each of the three major credit bureaus can provide a free copy of your credit report once a year, although the score is not included. To view your score, check your credit card statement, as creditors are now providing on a monthly basis. It’s always a good idea to check your report to make sure that information is accurate, but no matter where your score is, you should always strive for perfection, in order to take advantage of the best interest rates on the market.

Regular On-Time Payments

One of the largest factors of your credit score is payment history, so if you have had late payment troubles in the past, now is the time for regular on-time payments. Not only may you get hit with a late fee and an interest rate spike if you are even a day late, but if you are more than thirty days late it will hit your credit report and may stay on there for lenders to see for the next seven years.

Keep Debt Under Control

Equally important as payment history is the difference between your debt and available credit, so the closer you are towards your limit, the lower your score will be. Not only is it important to stay out of debt, but to increase your credit availability. Here in lies the willpower, as you are getting credit lines increased, the trick would be to not increase spending. Not only does debt hurt your credit score, but every balance that carries over to the next month will be collecting interest, which could be upwards of 16% APR, so the higher the balance, the higher you could be wasting to creditors.

Limit Credit Applications

While you will be notified if credit pulled, any time you have your credit information pulled it can reduce your credit score. If you are already a customer you may get a soft pull, which may not lower your score. The inquiries can stay on your credit report for a couple of years, so you want to make sure that whenever you are having credit pulled that it is a need that you are going through with, such as a mortgage, or car lease, even a better credit card. Too many inquiries and it could give the wrong impression to lenders that you are looking to go on a charging spree.

Leave Zero Balance Accounts Open

Paying off a credit card is a huge relief and weight off your shoulders, so much in fact you deserve to celebrate being credit card debt free, so much in fact that you cut up the card and close the account. Only half of that is correct. If you want to avoid using the card you should cut up the card, but actually leave the account open so you keep that credit availability. Closing the account could actually reduce your credit score in the process.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/credit-behaviors-to-give-your-score-a-boost/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/credit-behaviors-to-give-your-score-a-boost/Quick Ways to Blow Through Your Paycheckhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/79XenkpkW7w/
http://www.krantcents.com/quick-ways-to-blow-through-your-paycheck/#respondMon, 31 Jul 2017 16:44:46 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11761Keep Reading]]>Whether it’s a Friday for the bi-weekly paycheck, or the 15th, or the 1st, whenever you get paid, receiving your check can be an exciting time. Once you pay your necessary monthly expenses, you can look forward to having a little extra money to do something you enjoy after working hard all week. While it is important to stay within a budget, whether you keep a physical budget or not, so you just don’t go aimlessly spending your check the day you got it, there are certain areas that make us blow through our paycheck a little more quickly.

House & Car “Poor”

While there is not a set-in stone model for what you spend on housing, experts have claimed that around 30% of your income would be a decent amount to spend on a mortgage (or those that rent). You don’t want to get to be too high where you are spending all of your income on a huge house above your means and not have much left for other expenses, especially in the event that you lose your job, you want to be able to comfortably pay even if you are not able to secure a salary as high. Same goes with your auto lease or loan.

Eating Out

Sure, going out to eat is convenient; you get to have someone cook, serve, and clean up after you, but it does come at a premium price. Even if you are grabbing breakfast or lunch on the go, that will quickly add up as well. If you can go grocery shopping and plan dinner meals, pack your lunch, and have your coffee brewed in the morning with a quick on-the-go breakfast to eat in the car, you will save a significant amount of money throughout the month.

Online Shopping

Much like eating out, online shopping is convenient, but it gets you to spend a little more than you probably had envisioned. With free two-day shipping for Amazon Prime customers, not to mention free shipping for just about every website out there, except you may have to wait a little longer to receive, there is little need to leave the house to fight crowds, traffic, and weather conditions any longer to go shopping. With virtually endless sources of price comparison shopping out there, you will never have to pay full retail price for anything any longer.

Paying Credit Card Interest

Just when you get through paying the mortgage, car lease, and utility payments for the month you think you have a certain amount leftover for the month, but wait, you have that credit card bill that is due. Credit cards can be more of a pro than a con if you handle responsibly mostly because of the rewards, but if you have a spending problem and cannot pay the full balance by the due date, you begin to pay interest to the credit card company. Instead of wasting that money, try and hone in spending a little more so you can pay off the full balance each month instead of worrying about continuing to go into debt.

]]>http://www.krantcents.com/quick-ways-to-blow-through-your-paycheck/feed/0http://www.krantcents.com/quick-ways-to-blow-through-your-paycheck/What Benefits Can ERP Software Provide A Self-Employed Business?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/krantcents/~3/3MxIf0o_PeI/
Fri, 28 Jul 2017 23:01:47 +0000http://www.krantcents.com/?p=11758Keep Reading]]>When you think of companies who use Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, you normally think of a 100,000 employee, multi-national juggernaut deploying complex software in the attempt to streamline its 24/7/365 business. However, what about the “little fish,” self-employed small businesses and owners? Are there benefits of having an ERP software for your small business? And if so, what might those benefits be? Well, the first step to answering these questions is to understand what ERP software is.

Essentially, ERP is a single software system that integrates inputs from all areas and business processes in which a specific business is involved in a single place. General business process categories captured under this umbrella software include product and production planning, manufacturing or service delivery, marketing/sales, inventory/raw material purchasing and management, shipping, and payments/finance.

To understand the benefits that ERP software provides, it’s helpful to first think about the normal way in which a business is started and grows. Generally, a business starts off small, with very few employees and little capital to spend. As the company grows and needs gradually expand, business process tools are added one at a time as funds become available. For example, tax software is purchased from one company, HR software is purchased from another, manufacturing automation is purchased from another, etc. This piecemeal accumulation results in having numerous different programs that don’t interface with each other, requiring manual transcription of data in some form. On the other hand, ERP software is aimed at replacing all of these single systems into one contiguous platform in which the functional area software communicates back and forth.

Now that we have a basic understanding of what ERP software is, let’s take a look at an example of how it can potentially help a self-employed small business owner. In this example, we’ll consider a sole proprietorship-structured, 1 person, owner-operated business. The business is a high-volume bike equipment Powerseller on eBay. The owner purchases bike equipment from a wholesaler and then resells for a profit online.

“One Version of the Truth”

The first major benefit that ERP software can provide a small business is that it allows for a single source that can be queried for all information. Using our bike equipment business example above, this means that the owner could view all information relating to inventory levels/costs, purchase tracking, taxes paid, profit margins, shipping status, and advertising in one software package. This provides a great benefit over having to view information in disparate spreadsheets that may not be up to date and/or transcribed correctly from multiple different source software.

Automating Your Business

Another benefit of ERP software is that it can provide additional automation for your business. Automation is great for a self-employed individual who already has his or hands full with running all aspects of a business. An example of this from our previous bike equipment business relates to the area of inventory replenishment. Since ERP software links supplier ordering and sales, it is possible to implement automatic re-ordering of a popular bike pedal through the owner’s supplier when a set level of sales or inventory is reached.

Overall, there are many possible benefits that ERP software can provide, even to very small businesses. The key is performing the cost-benefit analysis for your specific situation and being sure to shop around for the best all-around deal.